Mass boycott looms as ICC reject plea to move Trophy

English cricket is bracing itself for a mass player boycott of the Champions Trophy, which could ultimately threaten participation in the limited overs tournament.

Following a two-and-a-half-hour tele-conference on Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) board confirmed that the so-called 'mini World Cup' will proceed as planned in Pakistan, from September 11-28, despite widespread security concerns.

India's decision to support their neighbours' right to host the eight-nation event ensured that the Asian bloc stood firm against opposition from England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Giles Clarke, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman, made it clear during the talks that the governing body at Lord's had fears about safety and argued that the tournament should be relocated.

When the vote went against Clarke and his allies on the board, the ICC were warned that England, Australia and, in all likelihood, New Zealand would be forced to send severely weakened squads if they could muster enough players at all.

Amid indications that Australia - title-holders and world champions - are resigned to being without the bulk of their leading lights, the ECB will hold talks with England players this weekend.

The matter will then be addressed at a board meeting next week but there are already grave fears that a majority of the first-choice squad will make themselves unavailable.

Sean Morris, Professional Cricketers' Association chief executive, said: 'All the players have doubts at this stage. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are trying their best to make it safe but there are external factors they can't control.

'The good thing about the England squad is that there are lots of people in it with minds of their own. Some will see it as an opportunity and some will say, "No thanks, I'm not going".'

It emerged last night that the ECB will not pressurise captain Paul Collingwood or his men to go against their will. Matches are earmarked for Lahore, Rawalpindi and notoriously volatile Karachi, cities that have been hit by suicide bombings this month.

Despite the ICC and PCB pointing to the recent Asia Cup passing off without incident, Foreign Office travel advice states that there is a substantial terrorist threat to Westerners in Pakistan's major cities.

An ECB security review revealed several concerns, while England players have expressed disbelief about the timing of the event - given the start date of September 11 with all its connotations.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat emphasised on Thursday night that countries will not be penalised if players withdraw. In theory, if England are unable to fulfil their obligation they could be fined around £5million. However, with Australia and New Zealand in a similar predicament, there appears to be a growing sense of safety in numbers.

A task force of Lorgat, ICC president David Morgan, vice-president Sharad Pawar, IS Bindra - the ICC's principal adviser - and PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf will visit the venues to assess arrangements, with a report due in a fortnight. They will be accompanied by representatives of the broadcaster, ESPN-Star Sports, who have also expressed concerns.

Ashraf said: 'The task force will meet high government officials and since there were concerns raised by some players of member countries, we will do everything to ensure that the best security is provided. Pakistan is a safe country to play cricket.'